~ literature from romantic to debauched

You’re My King

Last Sunday’s episode of Mad Men (Signal 30) has a wonderful scene of a prostitute pitching fantasies to Pete Campbell. I love this show more and more for its depictions of adult sexuality and I don’t mean in the XXX sense.

Even today, we’re lucky even these days to get an article about Fifty Shades of Grey that doesn’t have a smirking dismissive undertone. “Mommy porn” indeed. It’s just a given that adults in Mad Men pursue sexual fulfillment, they fantasize, and they experiment.

Back to the prostitute and Pete. Aside from the brilliant acting job by the actress, it occurs to me that her first two pitches are symbolic of the women Pete is rejecting and being rejected by in this episode.

She first presents herself as the sex-kitten housewife, cooing, “Oh, you’ve had such a hard day…” (Trudy Campbell) then as the inexperienced but eager young woman, “This is my first time…” (driving school classmate) and finally she’s worshipping at the altar of Pete, “You’re my king!”. Pete finally accepts the last pitch, he’s not doing so well this episode and pure adulation is what he wants.